MASON, Mich. – Around 3,000 student-athletes from over 450 high schools across the nation met in central Michigan for the 2026 National Championships of the USA Clay Target Association (USACTA) trap shooting league.

During the July 10-12 competition, Fall River High School (Wisconsin) captured the national title with a team score of 485 targets out of 500. Fall River edged out four schools tied for second place with 484 out of 500. In the tournament’s individual bracket, Nevyn Hengel from Sibley East High School (Minnesota) took top honors after firing a perfect 100 in a tie-breaking shoot-off.

Though individual and team statistics were kept and the top shooters acknowledged, USACTA President John Nelson said the league and tournament’s true purpose is to provide both rural and city youth who may not fit into other team sports at their schools an opportunity to participate in and experience the camaraderie of a team sport and travel to meets including state and national-level tournaments.

“For around 40 percent of these kids, this is their only school-sponsored sport,” Nelson told Farm World. “The best part about it is that we are all-inclusive. It doesn’t matter your size or gender, and handicaps don’t matter. It’s a co-ed sport that checks every box; even if you are in a wheelchair you can participate.”

Statistics bear out USACTA’s claim that the sport of clay target shooting is perhaps the fastest-growing prep sport in the nation. Participants from 32 states, including Hawaii, were registered for the national competition.

“Forty-one states now have high school clay target teams and between the spring and fall seasons this year we will host more than 60,000 student-athletes,” said Nelson, whose USACTA oversees both high school and collegiate-level trap and sporting clays teams (of that number, only around 2,000 participants are college-aged). “High schools have over 2,000 approved teams and that number grows each year. We are growing the number of new teams and athletes that are coming in every year even though the league has a 20 percent yearly turnover rate. We are adding between 13,000 and 16,000 new student athletes per year.”

USACTA boasts a clean safety record. Over 150,000 student-athletes have participated in USACTA events since the league’s 2012 inception with zero reported injuries, according to Nelson. “We’ve pulled the trigger over 300 million times and there’s never been a reported injury. Even handling a shotgun, this is the safest sport you can participate in,” he said.

Being part of a trap team instills the values of discipline, cooperation and teamwork in youth while providing a team environment that encourages improvement and rewards success, Nelson added. USACTA-sanctioned trap teams are led by around 11,000 dedicated volunteer coaches and assistants, many of whom are farmers, outdoorsmen or retired (or active) armed service or public safety employees, along with bankers, realtors and clergy.

“These volunteers work at the local level with student-athletes, parents and local shooting ranges and schools. There are various levels of how schools really support these teams. Some are all in, providing varsity letters and yearbook recognition. Everything they do complements what the state high school athletic association does as it relates to mission, equal opportunities and participation,” Nelson said.

When asked why every high school doesn’t get on the bandwagon and sponsor a team, Nelson replied: “That’s a good question for their school boards. We tell them they don’t have to be frontiersmen, because 2,000 other schools are already participating.

“These teams start off with five students and end up a few years later with 70 kids on their team. Some (rural) schools have over 70 percent participation on their trap team. Let’s also compare safety records with any other high school sport.”

Though cost barriers may seem to prohibit some schools from participation, non-traditional sources of support are stepping up to ensure most any school district with ready access to a shooting range can sign on to the league. These support sources, which include nonprofits, conservation and agricultural groups and the National Rifle Association, underwrite much of the costs for shells, equipment, range rentals and more. Many times, a local range will supply shotguns for students who wish to participate but don’t own one.

Student-athletes are required to attend and pass state-approved hunter or firearm safety classes, many of which take several days, or an equivalent online program to participate in USACTA-sanctioned leagues. A small fee for participation is charged to student-athletes that is comparable with or less than fees associated with other high school team sports.

“We’ve lessened the price of participation for families and schools as much as possible,” Nelson said. “We’ve made it flexible to the point where it is more of a community sport.”

For more information on the USACTA, visit https://highschool.usaclaytarget.com.